Your Majesty

My sister is marrying a prince.

The Alpha King's cousin, Prince Marcel, had declared it. For a village girl, it is a dream come true. The miracle happened last weekend, during the masquerade ball in the palace. Our family was lucky enough to receive an invitation along with some villagers favored by His Majesty.

My sister, Claire, danced with some men and unknowingly danced with Prince Marcel. It was love at first sight, they believed. And even though I'm not a sucker of romance, I'm happy for Claire. She has always wanted to marry someone from the town and not from the village. Who would have thought that she's destined to marry a prince?

I've always looked up to my older sister's beauty. She has pale blonde hair, almost white, while I was a brunette. Her features were soft and classic, ladylike. While mine were sharp, and somewhat dark, making me look mischievous and less sensible. If Claire looked like a kitten, I'm more like a tigress. The reason why I had little to no suitors compared to Claire who's loved by all.

I don't envy her, though. I'm happy with my life the way it is. I hate a bunch of suitors. I hate it when I hear them declaring their love after one meeting. I mean, don't you think it's absurd? How could a man you just met, talked to for at least an hour, fall in love with you that easily?

It's true I don't have a fetish for romance, but I've read some stuff and observed people around me. And from what I've read and seen, love isn't supposed to be like that. Attraction that leads to infatuation, maybe. But not love. Most people confuse it.

"Oh my goodness, Luciana!" My mother, Esme, howled upstairs when she saw me entering the house.

"Yes, Mama?" I asked innocently as if I've done nothing that made her perfect brows furrow.

"Stop that innocent smile, you unfilial child! Where have you been all this time? Anytime soon the royal carriage will arrive! Have you forgotten that today is the fitting of dresses in the palace? And yet here you are, completely unprepared!" She pressed on her temples dramatically like she usually did when I do silly things.

But actually, what I've done today is not something silly. I just went to the market to buy Claire a wedding gift. I don't know when I can go grab some time to buy since after this day, Mother and I will live in the palace together with Claire. Yes, Prince Marcel is that generous, and I still can't believe it.

We used to live here in this small old house, all of us three, which was a gift from my grandparents to my father. Back when my father was still alive, we used to have a small shop selling wood carvings. Claire and I learned a little from him but we're not as good so we had to close the shop three years ago. Mother and I started working at the beauty shop of Mrs. Lauren, one of the most sensible women I've ever met. She's a widow but has a son as old as Claire, Anthony, who's working at the magistrate's office.

Everything was fine even before Claire's betrothal to the prince. But it's a lot better now. I just can't help but worry a bit since the palace is said to be the nest of wolf shifters. The King was, after all, a wolf shifter. An alpha from the bloodline of the most elite alphas.

It was, I guess, more or less a century before when the existence of wolf shifters became widely accepted. Now, we co-exist in a single world, live with each other, and even marry. Humans do fear them still, it's evident in how the rulers of the kingdoms are mostly shifters. But there are some who are capable enough, who made some discoveries, like making weapons that could easily kill shifters. So far, there has been no war that emerged between shifters and humans. We co-exist peacefully.

But I'm just a little worried because rumors had it that the King, Luther Everdeen, is a tyrant. He kills anyone who dares to go against his word, without a trial, and even in public. I didn't have the chance to see it myself but I heard when he went to a neighboring village, he beheaded someone.

I just hope that when we are already living in the palace, we don't get to see the King often. But then maybe we really won't. He must be busy handling a bunch of palace affairs. He's too busy to deal with us. I'm fine with Prince Marcel marrying Claire even though he's a direct cousin of the King and they could share some attributes. But I've seen him and he looked sensible and harmless. Just like a real prince charming.

When we arrived at the palace, we were ushered by the head maid to the room where the tailor is. Claire was already there and I hugged her. It's been three days since we last saw each other and we're not used to being separated. We literally shared everything. From the bed, clothes, shoes. I even feel like we're twins.

That's why when Prince Marcel offered us to live all in the palace, it didn't take time for me to agree. I want to be with my sister. I want to watch over her even though she's two years older than I am. She's twenty-one while I'm nineteen.

I feel like I should be the one bearing that responsibility since Claire is timid and usually doesn't fight back when she's bullied.

"Lucy, can you come with me to my room? I forgot to get the sample fabric the tailor needs for my wedding dress," Claire said.

A servant volunteered to get it but Claire insisted that we could do it. I agreed and we left the room.

The hallway is big and has a lot of twists and turns. When we got further, I felt like I won't be able to return to that room alone. During the masquerade ball a week ago, I only saw the main hall and the palace grounds. I didn't get to see the things upstairs.

There are a lot of paintings hanging on the wall that are too complex for me to understand. Most walls were beige in color, which looks pretty clean, and there are also gold linings and carvings around the corners. I can't help but be amazed by the details.

On the way to the west wing where the Prince's chambers were, Prince Marcel appeared in my line of sight. He gestured to us to stop. Or maybe it's just Claire. I'm not sure.

So, we both stopped until he got over us. I curtsied as respect. Even though I was raised in a humble surrounding, Claire and I were lucky enough to learn things from our Aunt Isabelle who married a gentleman in town. She's our Mother's younger sister, and she often visits us back when she still has no children. When she got pregnant several years ago, she stopped visiting and just sent us letters.

"Miss Lucy," Prince Marcel smiled politely at me. His amber eyes were darker than most wolf shifters I've seen, almost like honey brown. Maybe because her mother is a human and he was more of a human than a shifter. "If you don't mind, can I have a minute with Claire?"

"Of course, I don't, Your Highness."

They went inside the nearest room, leaving me in the corridor. Prince Marcel must have something important to discuss with Claire.

Holding at the banister of the railings, I looked downstairs and saw the sudden rushing of servants to the main doors. They formed two parallel lines.

Before I could guess what was happening, a man in black cape entered the door, and everyone bowed their heads before saying, "Your Majesty!"